ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the relationship between age and leakage of intravenously administered gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by volumetric segmentation of the whole-cranium CSF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 30 patients clinically diagnosed with suspected endolymphatic hydrops, the three-dimensional real inversion recovery (3D-real IR) images were obtained at pre- and 4 h post-intravenous administration of a single dose of GBCA. The volume of interest was set on the whole-cranium CSF in the 3D-real IR image. The signal intensity (SI)-increase of the ventricular CSF and the extra-ventricular CSF at 4 h post-administration of GBCA compared to pre-administration was measured. The relationship between the age of the patient and the SI-increase was evaluated. RESULTS: A correlation between age and the SI-increase was observed in the whole-cranium CSF. The correlation coefficient between age and the SI-increase in the ventricular CSF was higher than that in the extra-ventricular CSF. CONCLUSION: An age-related leakage of the intravenously administered GBCAs was found in the whole-brain CSF. The age-related change in the distribution of the GBCA leakage was more prominent in the ventricular CSF than in the extra-ventricular CSF.
Subject(s)
Contrast Media/administration & dosage , Endolymphatic Hydrops/diagnostic imaging , Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials/cerebrospinal fluid , Gadolinium/administration & dosage , Gadolinium/cerebrospinal fluid , Administration, Intravenous , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Aging , Contrast Media/metabolism , Female , Humans , Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Young AdultABSTRACT
Pericortical enhancement on postcontrast FLAIR images is a marker for subtle leptomeningeal blood-brain barrier leakage. We explored the optimal FLAIR sequence parameters for the detection of low gadolinium concentrations within the CSF. On the basis of phantom experiments and human in vivo data, we showed that detection of subtle pericortical enhancement can be facilitated by using a relatively long TE. Future studies should choose their FLAIR sequence parameters carefully when assessing pericortical enhancement due to subtle blood-brain barrier leakage.
Subject(s)
Contrast Media/analysis , Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials/cerebrospinal fluid , Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials/diagnostic imaging , Gadolinium/cerebrospinal fluid , Image Enhancement/methods , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Blood-Brain Barrier , Female , Humans , Male , Phantoms, Imaging , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to characterize a previously unreported form of CNS barrier disruption in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH): hyperacute injury marker (HARM). METHODS: In this retrospective cohort analysis of patients presenting with primary ICH, precontrast and postcontrast MRI scans obtained within 5 days of symptom onset were analyzed. The presence of CNS barrier disruption was defined by (1) perihematomal or intrahematomal enhancement visualized on postcontrast T1-weighted MRI or (2) HARM: sulcal or ventricular hyperintensity visualized on postcontrast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences (graded on a 5-point scale). RESULTS: Forty-six patients were included in the analysis. Mean age was 65 years, median NIH Stroke Scale score was 7, and mean ICH volume was 12.2 mL (range 0.3-46.9 mL). HARM was visualized in 85% of patients, and this was moderate to severe in 50%. In all cases, the sulcal enhancement was noncontiguous with the hematoma. Of those patients with postcontrast T1-weighted imaging, perihematomal or intrahematomal contrast enhancement was visualized in 75% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that HARM occurs in intracerebral hemorrhage and that it likely represents a second type of CNS barrier disruption distinct from parenchymal postcontrast T1-weighted enhancement. Similar to T1 enhancement, this phenomenon may serve as a clinically useful biomarker to test therapies aimed at stabilizing acute ICH and CNS barrier disruption. Future studies are needed to further define the time course and prognostic implications of this finding.
Subject(s)
Blood-Brain Barrier/physiopathology , Cerebral Hemorrhage/cerebrospinal fluid , Cerebral Hemorrhage/physiopathology , Aged , Biomarkers/cerebrospinal fluid , Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism , Cerebral Hemorrhage/classification , Cohort Studies , Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials/cerebrospinal fluid , Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials/diagnosis , Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
We report a patient presenting with hydrocephalus secondary to a posterior third ventricular plasma-cell lesion which exhibited delayed transudation of contrast medium into the adjacent aqueduct and fourth ventricle.
Subject(s)
Cerebral Ventricle Neoplasms/diagnosis , Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials/cerebrospinal fluid , Third Ventricle/pathology , Adult , Blood-Brain Barrier , Cerebral Aqueduct/pathology , Cerebral Ventricle Neoplasms/complications , Contrast Media , Fourth Ventricle/pathology , Humans , Hydrocephalus/etiology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , MaleSubject(s)
Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials/cerebrospinal fluid , Iohexol/analogs & derivatives , Meninges/diagnostic imaging , Adult , Blood-Brain Barrier , Carotid Stenosis/diagnostic imaging , Carotid Stenosis/surgery , Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials/etiology , Humans , Hypoxia/diagnostic imaging , Image Enhancement , Iohexol/administration & dosage , Male , Middle Cerebral Artery/diagnostic imaging , Stents/adverse effects , Subarachnoid Space/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
We have tested a method to evaluate leakage of i.v. injected contrast media (CM) through the 3 partitions between blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in controls and in patients with acute cerebrovascular disease (ACBVD) to detect differences between normal brains and brains with ischemic lesions. High-osmolar (HOCM) and low-osmolar (LOCM) CM were used. In 55 patients and in 41 controls who underwent CT after i.v. contrast administration, lumbar CSF was collected 1 hour after injection and the iodine content in the CSF was measured. The concentration of iodine in CSF was very low, between 0.57 and 11.20 ng/l, and no significant difference could be found between patients and controls or between HOCM and LOCM. We conclude that under the conditions mentioned above, iodine detected in the human lumbar CSF does not reflect the true leakage of contrast agent through the blood-brain barrier.